Window Tint vs Police Safety

Despite the benefits to window tinting, you often hear the negative stereotype that the only people tinting their windows are criminals. This is far from the truth, as people of all types and backgrounds are choosing to tint their cars for UV and heat rejection. Although a tinted car may make police feel much more cautious when approaching as the occupants may not be visible, I do believe that this stereotype is severely overplayed. TintCenter enjoyed a recent window tint rant by the LRC blog

As of July 1, Florida cops are permitted to impose about a $100 fine for each person in a vehicle who is not wearing a seat belt. So tinted windows, which are pervasive in Florida, are seen as a major obstruction to tax collection. Just in case the Booboisee might object, the news show put on the screen an A-K47 that was allegedly taken from a car with — you guessed it — tinted windows. It just stands to reason, then, that the Florida legislature should outlaw curtains and all other forms of home window coverings. Who knows what heinous crimes might be committed behind those curtains!

I repeatedly express my admiration for the people in uniform including our cops on the streets, but I subscribe to the greater good theory. In 2008, around 130 cops die in the line of duty of which a small percentage is due to tinted cars. On the other hand, consider these facts about skin cancer in the US:

Skin cancer is the most common form of cancer in the United States. More than one million skin cancers are diagnosed annually.

Each year there are more new cases of skin cancer than the combined incidence of cancers of the breast, prostate, lung and colon.

One in five Americans will develop skin cancer in the course of a lifetime.

Basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma are the two major forms of non-melanoma skin cancer. Between 40 and 50 percent of Americans who live to age 65 will have either skin cancer at least once.

In 2004, the total direct cost associated with the treatment for non-melanoma skin cancers was more than $1 billion.

About 90 percent of non-melanoma skin cancers are associated with exposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation from the sun.

Up to 90 percent of the visible changes commonly attributed to aging are caused by the sun.

Contrary to popular belief, 80 percent of a person’s lifetime sun exposure is not acquired before age 18; only about 23 percent of lifetime exposure occurs by age 18.

It is pretty clear which side is the “greater good”.

Comments (17)

Hard

If you can’t make it in business doing legal tinting, then you should not be in business. However, most law enforcement officers don’t enforce the law against the illegal tinters because people who have illegal tint on their car give them all the reason they need to pull you over to see what else you might be doing that’s illegal. Florida law enforcement officers should enforce the tint law, it’s the law. The problem is illegally dark tint and the fools who do it and the fools who have illegal tint on their car.
Tint is completely legal, with certain restrictions. Illegal tint=problems. Legal tint=no problem.

omar etayem

I want to know why is it that a police can give tickets for tinted vehicles but yet have tinted vehicles on their own “marked” vehicles?? Shouldn’t they abide by the law, especially that they should lead by examples? They give tickets for illegal parking but yet would park just about anywhere on their lunch break with no regards to the law. I can’t count on how many times I have seen police officers eatint stop signs, red lights and speeding WITH NO SEATBELTS. This is ridiculous, they are not above the law!

Jim Dearing

I am constantly amazed at the bad rap that window tinting gets on a constant basis. It seems to me that anytime criminal activity is occuring around or in a car that has tinting, it becomes and “issue”.

Ian Henderson

Car Safety is always on the top of my head that is my i always use modern gadgets that could enhance the safety of my brand new car.;’:

Tim

That being said good for FL, but in pa we have a conflict. Pa law allows for tint as long as you can see the driver through the windshield front side wing and side window but the pa dept. of transportation in 1996 comes out with this “Fact Sheet” that says your windows can’t be darker than 70% which is what clear glass is from the factory so they have over stepped their authority by doing this. PennDot is only allowed to make laws that are consistent with actual PA laws to say something is illegal that the Pa Common Statutes already allows is not consistent.
According to my state law I rarely ever tint a car illegally only on rare occasions do I usually for government surveillance vehicles. (do as I say, don’t do as I do.) and yet according to Penn Dot almost every job I do is illegal.

Brad stevens

There is an exemption for police cars for the tactical advantage that tinted windows provide. If ticket you for every car you drove with tinted windows.

Tim

Having said that, about Pa laws, I have been in business for seven years here and never once been threatened by law enforcement only ever tinted their cars
Tim Price
1stglasstinting
Telford, Pa

Taylor Lewis

melanoma is quite dangerous, so make sure that you get early detection or early treatment,.-

mesa glass

That is true. I have my windows on my car tinted with limo tint, but I have no criminal record or am involved in any illegal activity. I just think it makes my car look a lot sharper and it keeps it much cooler inside especially when I am driving and don’t have the sun burning my arm through the window.

josh

not true in florida you can’t tint your windshield at all and that causes much sun damage and although 100 cops died in 2008 how many of the criminals that shot them had tinted windows?

also, 100 cops compared to the 1,000,000 people who die from skin cancer going directly into our cars….sorry cops you guys are a spec of the sand box and the greater good comes first. I don’t think people should have to get sun burnt or tanned while in their cars .

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I only started tinting my cars limo tint after persons decided that my belongings in my car/truck was public property. The pass byers have not respect for a hard working man belongings. (Ref the THIEVES). I go to work to buy what I like. To come to a broken glass when i did not have tint. Since i have had tint. Never had a car broken into. The police can tint there glass as they feel. The law is the law. So I dont run drug, smoke nor any of that other stuff. So if i get stop, better be a very good reason. The Louisianas law say that I can walk in my home and catch the intruder in the act, if he turn to run away while still in my house and i shoot him, i am subject for going to jail. Why? Because the threat was gone. He was trying to leave. Well if I catch you on my private property coming or going. You might as well call to your maker. Because he or she is going to meet him.